The present invention is directed generally to the gaseous fuel burner arts, and more particularly to an improvement for use in connection with lineal gaseous fuel burner apparatus and comprising a mechanism for reducing the cooling of the combustion flame near the end of a section of the particular lineal burner as may be caused by secondary air.
In the prior art, gaseous fuel burners have frequently functioned particularly well in preventing relatively high levels of carbon monoxide. One reason for such efficient functioning of gaseous fuel burning apparatus to produce preferentially carbon dioxide rather than carbon monoxide has been that such burners have been permitted to utilize flame temperatures in excess of approximately 1400.degree. F. to 1450.degree. F., and have been sufficient to prevent any substantial portion of the flame to burn at temperatures as low as 1200.degree. F.
However, such burners are not without certain difficulties. For example, when sections of such lineal disposed gaseous fuel burners are relatively short in length, such as for example any burner section less than 6 feet, a phenomenon which has been designated as "endplate effect" may occur. Specifically, a relatively greater amount of the flame disposed within the trough defined by the mixing plates is necessarily disposed near the endplates.
Such endplate effect may be quantitatively referred to with regard to the designated "endplate ratio", which is defined as the number of endplates divided by the length in feet of the burner. For example, a six foot burner would have an endplate ratio of 0.33, or 2 endplates divided by 6 feet equals 0.33. A further example would be a 12" burner which would have an endplate ratio of 2.0.
What the endplate effect has meant in practical terms is an increase in the level of carbon monoxide produced by the flame, to an extent that in several such instances these burners will no longer meet the required standards for use in various industries and applications, and especially where such levels of carbon monoxide approach or exceed 6 parts per million (ppm).
In view of the above difficulties and deficiencies experienced with otherwise satisfactory prior art gaseous fuel burners, it has become necessary to analyze the possible causes of such problems, and to suggest methods and apparatus for curing or at least substantially ameliorating such problems.
Accordingly, and in view of the above difficulties and deficiencies of prior art gaseous fuel burning apparatus, it has been one object of the present invention to materially reduce such difficulties and deficiencies, and more particularly to provide an improved mechanism by which carbon monoxide emissions may be substantially reduced and especially where such short sections of gaseous fuel burning apparatus are utilized.
The present invention may be better understood by those of at least ordinary skill in the art by reference to the following summary of the invention, brief description of the drawing, detailed description of preferred embodiments, appended claims and accompanying drawing.